Shattered Truths [HIATUS]

Shattered Truths {1}

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I don't work on this novel much, but I personally like it better than my other ones. I'm especially proud of the cover. c:

The Photobucket slideshow is a virtual tour of the Secret Paths, which will come into the plotline later on. And yes, the paths are real. I used to walk them a lot.

P.S. To those of you who read the original story, I changed the main characters' names to Meghan and Avryl. In case you didn't notice or were confused. :p

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~CHAPTER 1~

Darkness.

No...

Broken glass.

No... No...

Shattered truths.

Stop it...!

A child's frightened voice echoed through the blackness. There was no end to the immensity of the void. Meaghan struggled into a sitting position, balancing on an invisible floor that was somehow beneath her. She stood, fumbling for something to steady herself, but there was no support. Her head throbbed as she tried to see through the empty space. Her whole body was comatose, her own touch unfamiliar. Dead. Not a sound could escape her lips. Did she even exist?

Lost. Alone.

I'm scared...

A single dot of light flickered in the distance, drawing Meghan's eyes like a moth to a flame. She reached out, her fingers fighting the numbness that was creeping through her very core. She tried to grip something other than stagnant air with her outstretched hand.

Suddenly, the light grew larger. In less time than it took to blink, Meaghan was next to a spotlight she could not touch. She was merely a spectator watching a play she did not know.

A child was crouched in the fetal position, her hands clasped behind her head. The little girl was oblivious to both the spotlight and her audience. Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears streaking down her face. Pointy elfin ears poked out from her strawberry hair. Her curls were matted and dirty, lacking their usual bounce.

Blood. Fear.

Let me go...!

The little girl opened her mouth and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Why? Meaghan thought, trying to say the word aloud. It bounced, incoherent, around in her head, echoing, taunting.

Slowly, the blackness was tainted red, trapping Meaghan in a river of blood. It tugged at her sleeping limbs, pulling her under. Slowly, slowly. Languid shadows engulfed the spotlight, swirling around the girl.

The end.

 Help... I'm scared...

 Meaghan could hardly think, battling the blind panic churning inside her. Oddly enough, she could only focus on saving the girl. Her own peril was forgotten as she fought the tug of unconscious, once more reaching for the little elf. Her fingertips were inches away from the tantalizing light that was rapidly slipping away.

Stay away! STAY AWAY!

Finally, Meaghan's hand was in the light. The numbness subsided, replaced by searing agony. Fire and ice boiled her blood. Flesh began to melt from her hand like hot wax. She opened her mouth to scream, but her voice died on her lips.

The cries of the elf girl grew louder and louder, joined by a chorus of other voices screaming for help. The sounds of a raging war filled Meaghan's ears with clanging metal and explosions.

You shouldn't be here, mortal!

No, stay! Help us, Keeper!

Meaghan could barely comprehend the desperate pleas. Pain was all she knew. The elf girl was gone, and Meaghan was alone in her suffering. Her arm, charred beyond recognition, hung limply from her shoulder.

The red waters kept trying to pull her under, unrelenting. Just as she was about to give in at last, she saw a reflection of herself on the other side of the spotlight. Except it wasn't her, it was... Avryl?! It was not unlike staring into a mirror. She reached for it with her good hand, resting her fingers on the glass. They didn't burn up on the cool, smooth surface. Avryl did the same, her fingers on Meaghan's.

A woman appeared above them, glowing with an ethereal light. Her beauty was something of which there were no words for. She looked like a goddess, and Meaghan wondered if she was dying.

The goddess bent down and gently kissed the center of Meaghan's forehead, just above and between her eyes. The brow chakra. The third eye.

The spotlight suddenly went out. The mirror exploded, sending shards of glass everywhere. Sharp edges slashed Meaghan's skin and drew blood.

Broken glass. Shattered truths. Blood. Lies.

Meaghan blacked out.